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Maersk Line and Germany's DB Schenker Logistics have signed a six-year strategic agreement to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from ocean freight.

As part of the agreement, Maersk Line has agreed to undertake to reduce the CO2 emissions of every container it ships on behalf of DB Schenker Logistics between now and 2020 by 20 percent compared to 2014 levels.

"This is the first agreement between a global logistics services provider and a container shipping company," remarked Dr. Karl-Friedrich Rausch, Chief Sustainability Officer of Deutsche Bahn AG and Management Board Member for Transportation and Logistics at DB Mobility Logistics AG.

"Maersk Line is an important partner for us. Together, we will increase our freight volumes and share responsibility for protecting the climate. The agreement is a milestone because we are incorporating aspects of sustainability into our business relationships," Rausch added.

According to DB Schenker, the objective of the six-year agreement is to fuel customers' interest in sustainable ocean freight on the market by bringing aspects of sustainability into business decision-making processes.

"Maersk Line is DB Schenker's preferred partner because Maersk Line invests in state-of-the-art fuel efficient ships and because its service network and ship operation is optimized to meet the highest standards, which reduces polluting emissions overall. In addition, Maersk Line can break down the environmental improvements per container transported," DB Schenker said.

"The partnership emphasizes the companies' shared commitment to sustainable growth," the German firm added.

Vincent Clerc, Chief Trade and Marketing Officer at Maersk Line, commented: "The partnership encourages greater transparency on sustainable container transportation which can drive significant sustainability improvements in the industry. By integrating sustainability elements into the purchasing decisions, we jointly strive to change the procurement process in container shipping fundamentally."

Logistics provider DB Schenker is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG. Headquartered in Berlin, Deutsche Bahn is a leading railway operator and infrastructure owner in Europe. It is a private joint-stock company, with the Federal Republic of Germany being its single shareholder.